Whatever the season, Helsinki’s streets, forests and islands are ripe for exploring. So pull on your snow boots – or your sandals – and join us for a tour of this confident and cultured city.
Helsinki today is a modern city with all the charms of an elegant capital, from its eminent art collections to some of the buzziest nightlife in Europe. But Finns haven’t lost sight of tradition. In winter they fire up the…
The Finnish capital’s new public library was the result of an anonymous open competition. As other cities look for a less ‘starchitect’ future, it shows what can be achieved with a little democracy.
With a presence in Russia since 1989, Finnish retailer Stockmann faces its biggest setback there yet after its Moscow department store was forced to close. The unfazed CEO Hannu Penttilä explains why he is sticking to his…
In Finland, organic produce makes up just 1.5 per cent of the food market. One deli is feeding this nascent movement by creating a new fast-food retail concept that combines fresh, healthy fare with well-thought-out design…
Communal living with like-minded folk can be a source of inspiration. And there’s no better example than Helsinki’s Lallukka, an artists’ residence nurturing global talent.
The World Design Capital for 2012 is having a design renaissance. Helsinki officials, academics and designers are inspired by the chance to prove it isn’t stuck in the shade of its mid-century heritage.
Three key facts:…
The art collector, journalist and newspaper heiress cheers the global standing of Nordic design over fresh crayfish and bilberry pie at her home in Helsinki.
The Helsinki Swimming Stadium, originally earmarked for the 1940 Olympic Games, is a winning attraction in the Finnish capital. An oasis among lush lawns and residents come for relaxation and training – after the compulsory…
How do you train a workforce that values manual work, is self-reliant, accommodating to both men and women and, above all, hospitable? In Finland it starts with a simple premise: biscuits.
Navigating ‘Boat Finland’ through troubled waters and a forthcoming election next April are top of the agenda for the leader of a country increasingly having to keep an eye on noisy neighbour Russia.
The Scandic Grand Central hotel is breathing new life into one of Finland’s most beloved buildings: Helsinki’s main railway station. With stunning design and a keen sense of history, there is no way that this one will hit…
A pair of inventive Helsinki restaurateurs have transformed three long-overlooked city kiosks into hospitable hubs of singular street-food. We join the queue.
